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Bloomberg Law: HR Workforce Continues To Grow - Staffing Ratios Reach All-Time High

Staff Report

Tuesday, June 19th, 2018

In conjunction with its presence at the Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference, Bloomberg Law for HR Professionals today released its HR Department Benchmarks and Analysis 2018 report. The annual survey results reveal that HR departments have a median of 1.5 employees for every 100 in the workforce, which represents an all-time high in the survey's 40-year history.

The report, first issued by BNA in 1978, is a vital source for human resources executives at organizations of all types and sizes, providing benchmarking data and insights required to plan for the future and manage the function more effectively and strategically. Bloomberg Law will demonstrate how its HR solutions provide timely news, expert analysis, and essential tools at booth #3050 at SHRM, which will be in Chicago from June 17-20.

"This report is a must-have for HR executives who want to compare how their departments stack up to similarly sized organizations when it comes to staffing, expenditures, responsibilities, priorities, and influence," said Molly Huie, manager of survey reports for Bloomberg Law. "In this year's report, there are year-over-year comparisons of the new metrics added last year—including details of how HR departments are using their allotted budgets—allowing readers to identify trends in the industry and make more informed planning decisions."

Key findings of this year's survey include:

  • HR spending per employee increased slightly this year, though levels are still near a 10-year low.

  • The median ratio of human resources staff to total employee headcount is at an all-time high of 1.5 full-time equivalent HR employees for every 100 workers served by the human resource department.

  • The HR salary ratio comparing HR salaries to total payroll also hit an all-time high at 2.8, indicating HR staff­ continue to make more than the workers they serve.

  • Employee and workforce satisfaction, compensation competitiveness, training, and diversity and EEO have seen jumps in priority over the past 5 years and are currently as important as they have ever been.